By KLTV Newsdesk –
The Huddersfield Local History Society and the University of Huddersfield are set to present the ninth annual Luddite Memorial Lecture, which will delve into forgotten aspects of radicalism in the Huddersfield district and beyond.
The lecture, which will be delivered by Professor Nick Mansfield from the University of Central Lancashire, will focus on the forgotten history of radicalism displayed by ex-servicemen and serving soldiers in the nineteenth century.
Tradition
According to Cyril Pearce, the Chair of the Huddersfield Local History Society, Professor Mansfield’s lecture is very much in line with the spirit of the annual public lecture’s now well-established tradition.
The lecture aims to shed light on the deeply ambivalent attitudes of British popular opinion towards the army, especially the peace-time army, which have been fearful and hostile.
The lecture will also explore how popular radicalism has often resulted in lethal confrontations such as Peterloo, Featherstone, Tonypandy, and many others.
Professor Mansfield, who spent many years working in museums before moving to the University of Central Lancashire, published a labour history of nineteenth-century rank-and-file soldiers in two volumes (2016 and 2019 respectively).
His interest in the subject began over 50 years ago, as he was struck with how many radical leaders of the period had ex-service backgrounds, such as Wilkes, Paine, Cobbett, Cartwright, Cochrane, Hunt, and Bamford.
Annual Lecture
The University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Tim Thornton, who is also a historian, will introduce the lecture.
He says the University of Huddersfield is delighted to be supporting the Annual Luddite Memorial Lecture, as part of its successful partnership with the Huddersfield Local History Society.
As in previous years, a distinguished speaker, Professor Nick Mansfield, will deliver an important perspective on the Luddites and their period by examining the role of soldiers and ex-servicemen in popular politics.
The lecture is set to take place Monday 24 April, at 7:30 pm, in the Oastler building at the University of Huddersfield. If anyone wants to find out more about this largely forgotten part of radical history, they are invited to attend Professor Mansfield’s lecture.